Basket Cheese
Basket cheese is a Mediterranean cheese shaped inside a basket, which leaves a woven pattern on its surface. The Turkish version is a fresh curd cheese from the Aegean Region, made from goat, sheep or cow milk.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | Middle East |
| Specific Origin | Aegean Region, Turkey |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Pasteurized |
| Texture | Soft, semi-soft |
| Flavor | Unsalted when fresh, lightly salty when dried |
| Forms | Basket-shaped rounds |
| Also Known As | kelle peyniri |
What is Basket Cheese?
Basket cheese belongs to the Mediterranean regions. The Turkish version, sepet peyniri, is a fresh curd cheese that comes from the Aegean Region. It is most closely associated with the coastal towns of Karaburun, Çeşme and Ayvalık, where it is usually made from sheep milk and goes by the name kelle peyniri.
Goat milk is the traditional base, though sheep and cow milk are used often. The curd is shaped in reed baskets known as gova, which press a woven texture into the surface and give the cheese its name. Commercial production has largely moved to plastic containers.
Taste depends on how the cheese is handled after shaping. Fresh basket cheese has no salt taste at all. Dried basket cheese turns lightly salty.
In Italy, basket cheese goes into the savory tarts served at Easter.
How Does Basket Cheese Compare?
The most relevant cheeses to compare Basket Cheese against.
